Sure, assuming the definition of "average" we're using here is "not from a family with significant economic means", rather than "led an uninteresting life".
One that immediately springs to mind as both relevant and a good read is You Can't Win[1], the autobiography of a jailbird who was primarily active in the American West around the turn of the century. (I read it after seeing it mentioned in a HN thread, as it happens). I can't recall specific examples as it's been a while, but the author received a grounding in history at a religious school as a kid that shows up throughout the work in the form of various allusions to history and mythology.
One that immediately springs to mind as both relevant and a good read is You Can't Win[1], the autobiography of a jailbird who was primarily active in the American West around the turn of the century. (I read it after seeing it mentioned in a HN thread, as it happens). I can't recall specific examples as it's been a while, but the author received a grounding in history at a religious school as a kid that shows up throughout the work in the form of various allusions to history and mythology.
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https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Can't_Win_(book)